The Ryder Cup in October
The Ryder Cup was held for the first time in Europe in October and it was an almighty mess. The rain lashed down as it does in Wales in October and the Americans required new waterproofs, the Ryder Cup required another day and the organisers had to pay compensation to the unfortunate osuls who went on the Friday.
For those that did manage to go and enjoy watching some golf it was a fantastic atmosphere with some sparkling golf in treacherous conditions. Fans traipsed off the course and up the long hill to the buses with half of Wales packaged against their legs and shoes. The spectator areas were mud baths befitting warthogs or hippos but certainly not Tiger watchers and made following the golf a lot more difficult than it could have been.
The reason the Ryder Cup was held in October is money, or more precisely the $10m first prize on offer at the FedEx Cup – the denouement of the PGA Tour. Before the FedEx Cup the Ryder Cup was held in September and even Wales would have been able to hold a Ryder Cup in September. Now that the money men at the head of the PGA Tour have welcomed this blue chip event with millions of dollars at stake we are forced to put one of the best-loved team tournaments in sport.
Even non-golfers are attracted to the Ryder Cup for its partisan crowds, nerve shredding excitement and generous sporting spirit. The Ryder Cup pits some of the best golfers in the world against each other in the only real team event in golf. The President’s Cup can try and emulate the success of the Ryder Cup but it will ultimately fall short of this wonderful competition founded by Samuel Ryder in 1927.
We are in danger of damaging the reputation of the Ryder Cup by allowing a tournament that only started in 2007 and is there purely to reward multi-millionaire golfers with even more money and allow sponsors an opportunity to push their name out to the world. The FedEx Cup and the European Race to Dubai have no place in golf and it is risible that these modern capitalist trophies should take precedence over the Ryder Cup to the extent that Samuel Ryder’s competition is pushed back into October and opened up to the autumnal weather of Europe.
If this is to continue will areas of Europe not be allowed to host future Ryder Cups because of the fear of another Celtic manor debacle. It is absurd that the FedEx Cup takes precedence over a competition that has been running for over 80 years and brings the best out of golfers and highlights the beauty of the game.
Move the President’s Cup back to November or December and have a biannual version of the FedEx Cup or put the FedEx Cup after the Ryder Cup. It doesn’t matter which option they choose but the Ryder Cup needs to be back in September.
